Windows 8 search refuses to search items in my control panel. For example, if I tap the windows key and type "power options" or "Sound" I get nothing. I'm pretty sure this is supposed to work as it's mentioned in many of Microsoft's own documents as the easiest way to navigate to these settings.

It seems I have to open File Explorer and use the search box there to search the contents of my IE Favorites folder. Is there anyway to add the same capability to the Start Screen Search. So far all I can do is put in the word "favorites" and start screen search finds the Favorites folder but it can't find any of the internet shortcuts (*.url files) within the Favorites folder. Is this normal? If so how can I change the normal behavior so it works like the start button search from Vista and Win7?

Recently, my metro search hasn't been working. I usually go to the metro GUI and search for defrag, and click the "Defragment and optimise your drives". But, for some reason, when I click it, nothing happens, this also happens with many other system related programs like device manager, sound etc. I always have to use control panel now to use these programs. Other programs seem to work fine.

i have a problem when i search for app on start screen, there is no results unless i write the full word. for example, when i search"pain"= "no apps match your search", but when i search "paint" ifound paint app.so what is the problem here?

another question, how can i search for files for all computer not user files only?

I have bought a new laptop with win 8.1. ( I would have preferred Win 7 but it only came with win 8.) This laptop is being dedicated as a paperless file storage system. I scan all my paperwork to PDF files and store in folders.

I have been trying to find a way to be able to search these PDF files, the only way I have found was to add words in the file tags. I can search OK in Win 7 but the tags do not appear in win 8.1.

Windows 8.1 upgrade. The "universal" search sucks. Control panel -disabled BING. But when I return to the search screen, and start typing, the default remains EVERYTHING. This excludes a lot of the paths FILES looks under.

Is there any way for Win 8.1 to default your search to FILES (not Everything, which excludes a lot of your index locations)?

I figured out how to search but Windows 8.1 stopped searching for files. I type a word in the window and nothing happens after I hit enter.

I searched the web and suggestions say to use the charms menu but I haven't figured out how to search a thumb drive with the charms menu search.

When I insert a thumbdrive, the window opens and I type in the Search Toshiba (G) box and hit enter and nothing comes up and Windows can't find its own files on a thumb drive but it works on the C drive.

I keep turning on another computer with Windows XP to do searches or I use Windows 7 and I can get around a little.

The screen shots on the internet doesn't seem to work or relate with my system.

This is my first computer with Windows 8. When I click on the search feature on the right hand sidebar, there is an icon/title for "Files" but none of my files are showing up. If I start saving files (Word Docs, PDFs, etc) on my computer, where do I save them so they show up in this feature?

After updating to 8.1, windows search is slow, even though I disabled Bing and I don't have extra locations in the index, and it doesn't find files even though they are in subfolders of My Documents. This problem is very outstanding with Word files.

I tried deleting the Data folder, and rebuilding the index, but to no avail. I need a way to search for text within files, so the "Everything" app does not seem to be the solution. I am trying out AgentRansack right now, and it does work, but it is slow and uses up almost all the CPU when it is searching.

Since I turned on a new computer, SEARCH function is not working anywhere.

I can't enter the search mode in Explorer (CTRL+F or WIN+F does simply nothing) and when I go to Start menu screen and start typing, nothing happens. When I'm in Start menu and go to search it gives me no results no matter what I type - it just says: This app can't be searched. (as you can see below).

My file search is not finding files which I know are there, including files that I find and then try a search to see if windows eight can also find them. I have tried all the solutions' offered by googling 'windows 8 not finding file' such as the troubleshooter . One suggestion was to change the location of where to search to 'everywhere' but this option is greyed out.

I'm not sure how far reaching this is but I just noticed that when I select a folder and type a file name in the search bar on the right of the address bar, files are found on my backup drive, which is attached by USB to the PC, this drive is attached because it contains other partitions for file storage.

The folder in this case was on the desktop and it shows that it is on C: Drive, but files were found on the H: Drive which is where I run my backup to.

When I un-attach the H drive the files found do not respond to left or right click.

My search feature isn't working. This is the main search that should start with you typing while the metro screen is up. Some time ago it just disappeared. I've tried a couple of things to get it to work, but I can't.

I moved from Windows 7 32bit to Windows 8.1 Enterprise 64bit installation was clean got my OS validated PC was working fine for 1 day and then I got this issue which freezes my PC for longtime repeatedly.All I have installed in it was Steam DOTA 2 game and some media softwares like VLC,Chrome,Firefox nothing more .I checked upon my event viewer found this Index Search error frequently on startup and also ESNET issue .

I tried to update my gigabyte mother board drivers but didn't get new one .So moved on to use this Intel Online Scanner then I get this BSOD from System requirements Labs had to leave that thing . How do I move forward ?

All the other option I have is to reformat my PC and degrade from 8.1 Enterprise to 8.1, 8.1 Pro or Win 7 Ultimate 64bit mostly .

I read a former post about this - it referenced a older post about indexing and saw this at the bottom in the form of an update : Run > services.msc > find Windows Search > right click to select properties >

When I looked at WINDOWES SEARCH here is says STOPPING and when I clicked on properties the area that appears to be where you can change this is grayed out (STAT STOPE PAUSE RESUME) cannot be clicked ...

It is also not working from the blue screen where I can click on Apps/Files/Settings - (Do not know the name of these new screens or locations) ...

While using the computer, periodically when I go to the start screen and search for something, it just hangs for about 20-60 seconds before responding. Now today, every single time I start the computer, it loads fine gets me to the start screen, but if I type anything for the search then it freezes on me for 20-60seconds. If I start it and immediately go to the desktop, I can run SOME programs like IE or Chrome but NOT Ventrilo or games (for 20-60 seconds). Also, TASK manager will not come up nor do any of the windows 8 "charms" work for that time frame.

I am at a loss, this is a fresh OS install about a month ago on a brand new Samsung 840 SSD. All my drivers are up to date, I didn't have this issue a week ago but I did have a system restore point that I restored my computer to and that didn't fix it.

I also tried the Windows Startup Repair, and it tells me it could not repair it and to check my log at "F:/Window...." whereas I have NO F:/ drive and Windows is obviously installed on my C:/ drive (also, it will not allow me to "refresh" my computer. *I have legit Windows 8 Keys that I purchased

I have tried disabling the fast boot in power options.I have ran a registry cleaner (ccleaner, I hate running cleaners but it was a desperate measure).I tried creating a new user account.

I checked my Event Viewer and these are common errors I am seeing:

The driver DriverWudfRd failed to load for the device SWDWPDBUSENUM{69d0e255-85f2-11e3-be67-806e6f6e6963}#0000000000100000.

The server {9BA05972-F6A8-11CF-A442-00A0C90A8F39} did not register with DCOM within the required timeout.

The machine-default permission settings do not grant Local Activation permission for the COM Server application with CLSID

{C2F03A33-21F5-47FA-B4BB-156362A2F239}

and APPID

{316CDED5-E4AE-4B15-9113-7055D84DCC97}

To the user NT AUTHORITYLOCAL SERVICE SID (S-1-5-19) from address LocalHost (Using LRPC) running in the application container Unavailable SID (Unavailable). This security permission can be modified using the Component Services administrative tool.

I was a heavy user of the Windows 7 desktop search, either by the taskbar or the start menu. I most often used it to find emails, especially when I didn't remember which of my many accounts received the item. It worked across Outlook 2010, Live Mail, and Thunderbird.

Is it somewhere hidden in Windows 8? If not, is there an alternative? I believe the mail is still being indexed so it may only be a client that accesses the database that is needed.

So, I go into a folder and look at all the files and folders. In the upper right is the search box. I can type in the name of a folder within that folder that search should have no problem finding, and it can't find anything.

The search feature appears to work normally when I mouseover to the right of the screen, that menu pops up, and you type in what you want to look (the thing that searches apps and control panel and everything in Win8).